Darlis Nix remembers her son’s trek to and from Detroit Pershing High School by the tears flowing from his eyes. An immensely talented basketball player and future high school state champion and Mr. Basketball winner, Derrick Nix also was the heftiest kid in his class growing up.
After an emotional weekend split against Michigan and a long voyage up to Alaska, the No. 12 MSU hockey team is ready to empty its tank this weekend against the Nanooks.
Kalisha Keane celebrated her 21st birthday Wednesday. Although the calendar says the junior forward officially is older, Keane’s most important growth has come on the court, where her ever-increasing maturity is paying dividends this season for the MSU women’s basketball team.
Speaking after Thursday’s practice, MSU head coach Tom Izzo called Kalin Lucas “very, very questionable” for Saturday’s 9 p.m. game at Illinois, but said because the junior guard’s playing is contingent mostly on how he feels, Izzo said it remains a possibility.
For MSU head football coach Mark Dantonio, becoming a consistent team in the Big Ten means adding top-tier talent throughout the course of several seasons. Dantonio introduced his second straight top-30 recruiting class Wednesday at National Signing Day and was excited about the potential of the 21 incoming players.
Anthony Jones Jr. has been a stable presence in the middle of the MSU wrestling team’s lineup. The 157-pound junior has fought in several close matches this season, defeating Minnesota’s Joe Grygelko, 3-1, and West Virginia’s Kyle Eason, 6-2.
Le’Veon Bell 2 stars out of 5 Running back 6-foot-2, 221 pounds Reynoldsburg, Ohio (Groveport Madison) Rushed for 1,333 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior; spring enrollee Joe Boisture 4 stars Quarterback 6-foot-5, 195 pounds Goodrich, Mich.
Don’t expect a week off to cool the MSU women’s basketball team. The Spartans, riding a three-game winning streak, appreciated their midseason break but are ready to resume play at 7 p.m. tonight against Penn State at Breslin Center.__
Lucas has sprained ankle after coming down on a Wisconsin player’s foot Tuesday night in MSU’s 67-49 loss.
Spartans will be looking for a leader if junior guard Kalin Lucas is out for multiple games with a sprained ankle.
No. 5 MSU loses first Big Ten game of the season to Wisconsin, 67-49, as junior guard Kalin Lucas suffers sprained ankle. The Spartans have not won in Madison since 2001.
Winning a close rivalry match and then getting dominated by the nation’s top team in the same weekend would be enough to drain the emotion of most teams. But despite coming off a loss to No. 1 Iowa in which no wrestler posted a victory, the MSU wrestling team (7-4-1 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) said it still is feeling confident entering this weekend’s duals against No. 11 Central Michigan and No. 25 Purdue.
Today is a long day for the MSU hockey team. The No. 12 Spartans were scheduled to board the bus at 5 a.m. and won’t arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska, until midnight Eastern Standard Time.
It’s no secret: For the MSU women’s basketball team to be successful, senior center Allyssa DeHaan needs to be successful. This was no more evident than last Thursday’s game against Northwestern, where DeHaan dominated the Wildcats to the tune of 24 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Myles White and junior defensive tackle Oren Wilson pleaded not guilty last week to charges stemming from a Nov. 22, 2009 altercation in Rather Hall.
Tom Izzo, a prominent NCAA Tournament figurehead and avid football fan, made a reference to another legendary sporting event when describing the MSU men’s basketball team’s upcoming conference schedule — golf’s annual Masters tournament, played each spring in Augusta, Ga.
There was a time when Delvon Roe dreaded going to the free-throw line. Shooting 51-for-112 from the charity stripe last season — a measly 45 percent — the sophomore forward had a knack for converting and-one buckets but failing to capitalize on the 3-point opportunity.
Following a crazy week of Big Ten action, the MSU women’s basketball team could be back in the conference title race. A win Thursday against Penn State would pull the Spartans even with the Lady Lions in the loss column with a game in hand.
Fans were on the edge of their seats. Players on both benches were on their feet. And no one knew what the end result would be until the final whistle. It was a typical weekend of hockey in the rivalry series between No. 12 MSU and No. 20 Michigan.